


Dilemma

by Phantom



Category: Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 10:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom/pseuds/Phantom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andros, Karone, and Zhane argue about what to get TJ for his birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenRiley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenRiley/gifts).



Karone’s been around Earth longer than he has, but Zhane’s spent infinitely more time on the planet itself. More than either her or Andros, because while Karone was holed up on her battleship, Andros was hiding out in his room determinedly avoiding social interaction. Even if he _has_ become more amenable to group outings ever since the discovery of action movies, he's hardly the life of the party and so it’s still something of a shock to Zhane when he discovers that there is an instance where Andros is more familiar with Earth’s traditions than he is. 

“So, wait,” he says, looking from brother to sister. They sit huddled around the table in the holding bay, the remains of breakfast still strewn around them, crumbs and crusts and half-empty cups. “Let me get this straight. You're telling me that birthdays are a holiday on Earth?”

“Not a holiday,” Andros says. He pauses, brow furrowing in thought, and Zhane feels a twinge of suspicion that maybe he's making it all up after all... But Karone nods along, and after a moment, Andros's expression clears, and he adds, “But there’s a party. With singing. And cake.”

“Cake?” Zhane repeats, and suddenly his already-present curiosity intensifies. “What kind of cake? Chocolate?”

“Regular cake.” 

“There’s no such thing as regular cake,” Zhane informs him. “There are too many different kinds.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes,” Zhane says. “It matters, because chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is the best kind of cake.” He glances at Karone. “Tell me you agree.”

She shrugs. “Have I had cake yet?”

He’s tempted to go to the Synthetron and get her an assortment of slices to try right then and there, but he’s not sure she’d eat it.

“Birthday cake is whatever kind of cake that you want it to be,” Andros explains impatiently. “With candles stuck in it. They sing after they light the candles.”

“And there are gifts,” Karone chimes in, to Zhane’s surprise. “I remember there are gifts. That’s nice.”

Andros nods.

“And _everyone_ does this?” Zhane looks between them suspiciously, because if this is a thing, how hasn’t he noticed it before? He wonders if he should be offended that no one informed him of this tradition before yesterday.

“Not everybody,” Andros says. “But most people.”

Interesting. 

“But I don’t understand what _sort_ of gifts,” Karone says. “Ashley got all sorts of different things for her birthday.”

There’s a slight widening of Andros’s eyes, and he shifts just a little in his seat, suddenly appearing quite uncomfortable. Karone doesn’t appear to notice. Zhane tries to puzzle it out, but comes up with more questions than answers. Such as what, exactly, Karone had been doing at Ashley’s birthday party when she hadn’t even _been_ Karone yet. 

But that’s clearly a story for another time because TJ’s birthday party is in two hours, and right now, that’s the more pressing need. 

“You just... find something that you think they’ll want,” Andros tells her. “Something they’ll like, or something they’ll need.”

“Ohh.” Karone considers that, tugging absently at the ends of her hair. She nods in understanding. “Ketchup.”

Zhane blinks at her. “What?”

“Ketchup,” she repeats solemnly. “TJ likes ketchup.”

That's true enough, and Zhane's gotten Andros worse gifts through the years, so maybe it's not a _terrible_ idea...

They both look to Andros for his opinion. He considers the question a moment, and then shrugs. “I don’t know. Carlos got Ashley a fire extinguisher because he says everyone needs one.”

“Do they really?” Zhane wants to know.

“I don’t think it’s a very common gift.”

“Does TJ have one?” he asks anyway.

“What’s a fire extinguisher?” Karone asks.

There is a long stretch of silence before Andros finally admits, “I... don’t know. It puts out fires. Somehow.”

“I don’t have a fire extinguisher,” Karone says.

“Me either.” Zhane pauses, and then offers, “I could get you one.”

Birthdays might not be something they celebrate on KO-35, but he and Andros have celebrated plenty of other holidays together. They’ve given each other all sorts of presents for all sorts of occasions, including none at all, and... well, he knows that Karone hasn’t been given many gifts. He figures she deserves some, even if they’re silly little things that she has no real use for.

Her favorite part will probably be the wrapping paper, anyway. 

“Thank you.” She giggles, a little. “But that’s okay.”

Maybe they need the fire extinguisher to douse the flames that result from lighting a perfectly good cake on fire. Andros says that no, they blow the candles out before they burn down and then he says something about wishes that Zhane doesn’t understand, either (he doesn’t know how that would work, but Andros says that apparently, Ashley and Cassie both got what they wished for this year, so maybe this is just another weird Earth thing?) 

“We should just go shopping,” he suggests. “See what we find. It could be an adventure.”

Andros sighs.

“Karone’s never been to the mall before,” Zhane reminds him.

Karone looks cautious yet curious. “Why doesn’t Andros want to go?”

“Because,” Andros grumbled, “there are people.”

“Oh,” she says, and frowns. She’s like Andros, in that she’s not very fond of interacting with people more than strictly necessary—except children, Zhane’s noticed. When they’re around kids, she lights up and relaxes. But she seems to find them interesting to observe from a distance, and finally, she nods. “I want to see.”

“It’ll be a quick trip,” Zhane promises Andros. “The party starts soon, anyway, and I told Cassie I’d help her set up.”

Andros sighs again but agrees when he sees Karone's excitement at the prospect (and he's not even _entirely_ reluctant about it, Zhane can tell, because that's definitely a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth), and that settles the matter. They clear the table quickly, cups and plates shoved haphazardly back into the Synthetron for DECA to take care of, and then, armed with the very best of intentions, they teleport down to the Angel Grove mall.


End file.
